Special to California Business Journal.
CBD is becoming increasingly popular nowadays, with people claiming that it has a variety of medicinal benefits and can help treat common ailments like insomnia, pain, and anxiety. However, there are still a lot of questions surrounding this compound.
In this article, we clear the air by answering some of the commonly asked CBD-related questions.
What is CBD?
CBD is an abbreviation that stands for Cannabidiol, a chemical compound found in the cannabis and hemp plants. It is the second most popular compound derived from cannabis (with THC being the first) and also one of the most therapeutic ones.
After extracting CBD from the plant, it is diluted in a carrier oil, such as hemp seed or coconut oil, to prepare what is famously known as CBD oil. Since CBD without THC is not psychoactive, it is often used for medical purposes.
What is CBD used for?
Although all cannabis compounds have some level of therapeutic abilities, there is a reason CBD is known as the most therapeutic out of all. CBD can be used to treat a variety of physical and mental conditions, including:
–Pain and inflammation
–Nausea
–Migraines
–Seizures
–Anxiety
–Depression
–Psychosis
–Mental disorders
There is strong evidence suggesting that CBD can also be used to treat childhood epilepsy syndromes, including Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), that normally do not respond to other anti-seizure medications.
How is CBD consumed?
CBD is available in various forms for both oral and tropical consumption. These include:
–Edibles
–Water-soluble CBD
–CBD paste
–CBD vape cartridge
–Bath and body products
–Pet products
Is CBD legal?
CBD was illegal until President Donald Trump signed the Farm Bill into law in December 2018. Now, it is a billion-dollar industry with several medical marijuana businesses booming every year.
According to the Farm Bill, CBD that comes from the hemp plant and has less than 0.3% THC is legal in all 50 states in the U.S.A. However, CBD derived from the marijuana plant is still illegal and has the Schedule 1 controlled substance status, so make sure you get only hemp-based CBD.
Will you fail a drug test even if you consume medically approved CBD?
CBD is found in both hemp and marijuana, and the one derived from the latter contains THC as well. Since drug tests are geared towards identifying the presence of THC in your blood, you are most likely to fail a drug test if you consume CBD-rich medicines.
Most CBD-rich medicines contain a minuscule amount of THC (less than 0.3%), but everybody has a different mechanism for storing THC. Therefore, it’s best to confirm this with your doctor or employer.
How long does CBD stay in your system?
Though there is little research about CBD and its timeline, many experts suggest that CBD stays in our body for three to five days before our body flushes it out completely. However, this time duration is still conflicted, so there is no confirmed answer as to how long CBD stays in your system.
Can you get high from CBD?
No, you cannot get high from CBD if it contains less than 0.3% THC. The compound makes you feel relaxed and out of the zone, but it is nowhere near the marijuana high.
That being said, CBD obtained from marijuana might contain high amounts of THC, so there is a chance that it can get you high. Some producers also grow CBD with a high amount of THC specifically for this purpose.
Is CBD addictive?
CBD derived from hemp plants is not addictive. However, marijuana-based CBD is still classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance as it has a high potential for abuse. This means that you are most probably safe from addiction as long as you use hemp-based CBD. Due to limited research, we do not have sufficient evidence to conclude anything.
Just because CBD is not an addictive drug, this does not make it a completely safe drug. There are some potential risks attached with the use of CBD, such as lack of regulation, misguidance, and more, but it is safe to say that the benefits of hemp-based CBD outweigh its potential risks as long as you use it sensibly.
